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Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to Ewan Henderson’s move from Celtic to Hibernian, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Busy start to 2022

The Hoops have wasted no time when it comes to their January business, with moves for Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda already finalised.

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Permanent moves for loanees Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota are also being worked on behind-the-scenes while moving on a number of players is also on the club’s to-do list.

The likes of Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli could be where Celtic bring in some funds, but it is Henderson who is the first player to depart Parkhead in 2022.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Hutton, who regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Henderson and Hibs in a story released on Tuesday evening.

A move to Easter Road has since been announced, with the 21-year-old joining on loan before making a move permanent in the summer.

Here’s what Hutton had to say, labelling an exit as ‘heartbreaking’.

“I think it’s always a worry. As fans and as a club, you always want to see the academy doing well.

“You want to see young players coming through. They know what the club’s all about, they know what it feels like to play and support the team and just see the development.

“That’s what the academy is there for, to have a pathway to the first team. Throughout the years, Celtic and Rangers have had times where the odd player’s come through and then went missing for a long time.

“It is a worry they’re getting back to those years where it’s constant players coming in through the door. Foreign players or players on initial fees and there’s no opportunity for youngsters.

“So it can be heartbreaking, it can be devastating for the youth setup because you can’t see any way in.

“I even remember when I was coming through at one stage. I was thinking there is no way I’m going to make into this first team. Every transfer window there was a new player coming in.

“It can be disappointing, but I think ultimately if you’re good enough, you will have an opportunity. Then it’s up to the player.”

The Verdict: The right call

Although it’s never ideal seeing a player Celtic have developed for a number of years move on, it appears to be the correct decision. Henderson played just once under Ange Postecoglou this season, coming off the bench to score in a Europa League dead rubber against Real Betis.

He was never really in the matchday squad either despite the club’s huge injury list, so a fresh start with Shaun Maloney should be the best move for him.

It doesn’t look as if Celtic have received any money for the attacking midfielder’s services due to the loan and Henderson being out of contract in the summer, but hopefully funds will be brought in from the likes of Barkas and Bolingoli.

In other news: Celtic may now sign £4.5m-rated man on loan; would ‘separate’ Nicholson from Lawwell. 

South Africa have named allrounder Justin Kemp in their initial squad of 30 for the ICC World Twenty20 to be played in the Caribbean in April and May 2010. Experienced fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, who is no longer a part of the Test and one-day sides, has also found a place in the list of probables.Kemp joined the unofficial Indian Cricket League soon after the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, and hasn’t played for South Africa in nearly two-and-a-half years. After the ban on him for ICL links was lifted at the start of the season, he has captained Cape Cobras to the top of the table in the Supersport Series and a place in the semi-finals of the Standard Pro20 series.South Africa have also named four uncapped players in the preliminary squad. The four are batsman Colin Ingram and fast bowler Rusty Theron from the Warriors, batsman David Miller from the Dolphins and fast bowler Ethy Mbhalati of the Titans.The final squad of 15 will be named in March.Men’s squad: Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Yusuf Abdulla, Hashim Amla, Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Colin Ingram, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Ethy Mbhalati, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe, Johannes van der Wath, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Morne van Wyk.

Celtic could sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Hannes Wolf on loan, according to German outlet Kicker, relayed by reporter Sacha Pisani.

The Lowdown: Two midfielders signed

The Hoops have already added to their midfield ranks this year with the signings of Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi.

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The pair were announced on New Year’s Eve alongside forward Daizen Maeda, putting pen to paper on four-and-a-half-year deals at Parkhead.

Links to Wolf emerged at the beginning and end of December, with Bhoys Analytics recently stating that a move for the 22-year-old would ‘really separate’ Michael Nicholson from Peter Lawwell.

The Latest: Loan move possible

Pisani relayed the ‘latest’ reports from Kicker on Twitter on Monday afternoon, suggesting a loan deal is still in the works for Celtic.

“Latest report via Kicker says a loan deal is possible for Wolf as Celtic circle,” the journalist said.

Rapid Wien have also been credited with an interest in Wolf, who has made just two Bundesliga starts all season.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Wolf, valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, is primarily an attacking midfielder whereas Hatate and Ideguchi play in deeper central positions.

David Turnbull could miss two months of action with a hamstring injury, so bringing Wolf in on loan with a possible option to buy, as they have done with Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers, may well be a shrewd move for the second half of the season.

Wolf has struggled in Germany this season, however, he’s proven back in his native country with RB Salzburg that he has an eye for a goal and an assist, so a loan move could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news: Celtic close to another ‘clinical’ signing after Kenny; Ange is a big fan. 

Celtic have been dealt yet another injury blow ahead of their upcoming Scottish Premiership clash against Dundee United.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Glasgow Evening Times, Ange Postecoglou suggested that Benfica loanee Jota could be set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury in the 1-0 victory over Hearts on Thursday evening.

Speaking about the 22-year-old’s knock, the Bhoys boss said: “It’s always a concern when a player comes off injured. Jota’s one who has played every game and he’s one we’d love to give a break to at some point. But it’s the kind of stage as a squad we’re at this moment.

“He wasn’t too downbeat after the game, he was hopeful it was nothing too serious. Ultimately, we need guys like Mikey and Liel [Abada] to step up, that’s why they’re here at the club. And if the opportunity exists for them it’s up to them to take it.”

Fans will be livid

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Jota has become since joining the club this summer, the news that the winger looks set to spend what could be a considerable amount of time on the sidelines is sure to have left Hoops fans outraged.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 key passes and taking three shots per game.

These returns have seen the Portugal U21 international average a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.38, ranking him as the sixth-best performer in the entirety of the Scottish top flight.

As such, the fact that Jota looks to have picked up what could well be a serious injury will come as a huge blow to Celtic’s chances of picking up all three points against Dundee United on Sunday.

And, considering Postecoglou’s suggestion that his knock is due to playing too many minutes this season, fans will also undoubtedly be livid with their manager.

In other news: Ange must seal Celtic deal for “prominent” £13m-rated beast who “stole the show” in EL

Allrounders the world over are either fighting frequent injuries or giving up one form of the game to prolong their careers in another, but not Jacques Kallis

Cricinfo staff18-Nov-2009

Allrounders the world over are either fighting frequent injuries or giving up one form of the game to prolong their careers in another, but not Jacques Kallis. He’s remained remarkably durable over a 14-year career, performing consistently with bat and ball, and has no intention of giving up a format, or forgoing his bowling, to extend his career.”As I sit here at the moment, I’m still fit enough to keep going and I enjoy all three formats,” Kallis said. “I enjoy both batting and bowling. Certainly in Test cricket, if I spend a day in the field without bowling, it feels like it’s two days. For me to give up bowling would be tough, and I’ll only do that if my body tells me to. The day I wake up and it gets too much, [and] I’m not really enjoying it, I’ll stop.”Kallis has scored over 10,000 runs and has taken more than 200 wickets in both Tests and ODIs but his career, which has remained largely injury-free, has been the exception during a time when genuine allrounders are becoming a rarity. Andrew Flintoff’s spate of injuries forced him to give up Test cricket in order to prolong his limited-overs careers, and New Zealand’s Jacob Oram has often said that he could be forced to give up bowling in order avoid sitting injured on the sidelines.”With the amount of cricket that is played around the world, it’s tough,” Kallis said. “I’ve been fortunate in my career, I haven’t been injured too often, but the life of an allrounder is pretty tough. It is tough on the body and that’s probably why there are not so many top allrounders still playing all three formats.”Kallis recently received high praise from Kevin Pietersen, who called the allrounder the “greatest cricketer ever”.”It’s a great compliment, especially coming from a player like him,” Kallis said. “But you’ve got to look at the stats – sure, the runs might be there and the wickets might be there, but we’re playing a lot more cricket these days than the guys in yesteryears. I’m sure that if they’d played the amount of cricket that we play today, they would have achieved what modern-day cricketers achieve as well.”A side-strain prevented Kallis from bowling during the second Twenty20 international against England on Sunday but he is expected to be fully fit for the first ODI in Johannesburg on Friday.

After securing a 2-1 victory over Ross County in the Premiership in midweek, Celtic are up against Hibernian in the League Cup final on Sunday to try and secure their first trophy of the season.

Leading up to the showdown at Hampden Park, it seems as though Ange Postecoglou’s side have been handed a potential injury boost which will have a lot of fans feeling thrilled and could help the team secure the trophy on offer.

What’s the news?

According to the Daily Record, Mikey Johnston was involved in Celtic’s recent training session on Friday and will be “in contention” to be involved in tomorrow’s final.

A product of the club’s youth system, he has made 74 senior appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in the process.

This season has seen the 22-year-old make 15 appearances for Celtic across all competitions but only two starts, struggling with his fitness at the start of the campaign.

Given how the Daily Record said that Kyogo Furuhashi, James Forrest, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Albian Ajeti and Jota were not involved in Friday’s training session, it seems a good time for Johnston to make his return to action and help his side beat Hibs.

The winger’s previous league appearance for Celtic saw him rack up five shots at goal and make two key passes in 60 minutes of action in their 1-0 win over Motherwell last week, showing how dangerous he can be from the left-wing.

Johnston has shown in his 10 league appearances in this season that he can be a useful attacking asset for the team by averaging 1.9 shots and one key pass per game. Also, with Adam Montgomery failing to impress in the win over Ross County, this could persuade Postecoglou to start the 22-year-old winger on Sunday if he is fully fit.

If Johnston does start tomorrow and can deliver a solid performance in helping Celtic to win the League Cup, this could kickstart a regular run of games in the team for him and prove to his manager that he has the quality to do so after a false start to the season much to the delight of the Parkhead faithful.

In other news: Celtic can finally axe “stupid” Lennon signing by landing “unstoppable” 30 y/o machine…

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool supporters have absolutely erupted over a three-word message from their club concerning superstar Sadio Mane.

The Senegal international is one of manager Jurgen Klopp’s most crucial players and has been a key component of his forward line since signing from Southampton for £34 million in 2016.

His 105 goals and 43 assists in all competitions for the Reds since then have made his £34m fee look like an absolute bargain, and after last season’s torrid time with injuries, supporters are concerned over losing their key players to fitness issues.

Liverpool suffered a scare in that regard over the weekend when Mane returned prematurely from international duty with Senegal.

Lions boss Aliou Cisse confirmed to the country’s media that Mane had flown back to Merseyside following a blow to the ribs, with supporters and the club alike sweating over his condition.

In a teasing update, Liverpool have now dropped the three-word message ‘time for training’ whilst also showcasing an image of Mane in full practice at Kirkby.

As the club’s post alleviates fears Mane could have been a doubt for Arsenal this weekend, reliable reporter James Pearce has since reaffirmed that the 29-year-old ‘should be available’ (The Athletic).

Liverpool fans erupt…

According to WhoScored, Mane has racked up the second-most shots per 90 on average for Liverpool out of their entire squad so far this campaign (3.4) – sitting just behind star man Mohamed Salah (4).

He’s also racked up the second-most goals and assists combined (6G, 0A), with Salah again the only man above him with a ridiculous ten goals and seven assists (WhoScored).

Given Mane stands out as one of Liverpool’s major players by a distance, it’s little wonder fans have swooned as he takes part in full training.

Find all of their best reactions down below.

“let’s gooooo”

Credit: @Longiinus_

“Oh boy…”

Credit: @ZamoZitha

“Good news”

Credit: @prrrrLFC

“This is beautiful”

Credit: @CELESTOFC

“Yesssssss he’s in training”

Credit: @IsraeliKopite

“Awesome. We have Mane gearing to go. Now for Hendo training pics within the week”

Credit: @Xenuphrasis

“Wow! I am happy to see you playing against Arsenal.”

Credit: @AlieBSillah4

Pakistan put up a vintage show to move closer to semi-final slot

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga26-Sep-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik made mockery of the view that middle overs in ODIs are boring and formulaic•Getty ImagesIt was a vintage Pakistan show. The near relic formula of doubling the 30-over score worked for them, as Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf accelerated from 139 for 3 after 31 overs to score 163 in the last 19. Then the ugly side of Pakistan emerged: their pace bowlers gave away 31 runs in no-balls and free hits during India’s chase. Yet they opportunistically converted two run-out chances to end up comfortable winners of a contest that stayed tense for at least 40 overs of the second innings.For the best part of the day, it seemed another classic would be added to the long list of classics played between India and Pakistan. Coming face to face for the first time in close to a year and a half, the two teams matched each other blow for blow for 90 overs, in terms of play both inspirational and ordinary. In the end, though, India made one mistake too many, and as is often the case with these high-pressure matches it was the mistakes that counted.Harbhajan Singh would wish this day had never happened: he failed to cover for a low-on-confidence pace attack, giving away 71 runs for one wicket (he now has 10 wickets in 15 ODIs against Pakistan), and then ran Rahul Dravid out in what was the final turning point of the match. A valiant Dravid had kept the chase alive, and despite a regular fall of wickets India needed 67 runs in 49 balls when he was called for a non-existent third and was left stranded.The slower bowlers proved to be the difference on a day that the faster men – barring Ashish Nehra and Mohammad Aamer – refused to learn from their mistakes. India’s two spinners, Harbhajan and Yusuf Pathan, went for 127 in their 20 overs and took two wickets, while Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal combined to take four wickets for 70 runs in their 18.5 overs. That despite the dew troubling them in the later half of their efforts.Prime Numbers4The number of double-century partnerships for Pakistan in ODIs against India. The 206 between Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik is the second-highest among them, and the highest for the fourth wicket. It’s also the highest – and the only double-century stand – in an ODI in Centurion. 51.06The average stand between Yousuf and Malik in ODIs. In 51 innings, they have put together six century stands and ten half-century ones. The average is higher than Yousuf’s average with Inzamam-ul-Haq (44.36) and Younis Khan (46.28). 52.24Shoaib Malik’s ODI average against India, at a strike rate of 89.91. Four of his seven centuries have come off the Indians. His last five innings against them read 89, 53, 11*, 123* and 128.35The number of fours scored by Pakistan in their innings. India managed only 19.11The number of fours conceded by India’s two main spinners, Harbhajan and Yusuf Pathan. Pakistan’s two leading spinners, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal, conceded only three fours.71.10Harbhajan Singh’s bowling average in ODIs against Pakistan. In 15 matches he has taken only ten wickets at an economy rate of 4.86 runs per wicket.What now seems like a long time ago, the stage was set for Harbhajan to come on and take charge of a remarkable comeback by the Indian bowlers after they had been carted for 51 runs in the first seven overs. At 65 for 3 after 15, though, MS Dhoni delayed the introduction of Harbhajan, and tried to get through some cheap overs from the part-timers. He needed all the cheap overs he could get from them because one of his main bowlers, RP Singh, was completely off tune (Dhoni later said it felt like he was three bowlers short).At that time, Malik looked like going nowhere. His score at various stages of the innings read 3 off 16, 10 off 31, and then 34 off 69. But during that period he didn’t throw it away, and was set by the time Harbhajan arrived. At the other end, Yousuf was his usual silken self, reaching 35 off 45 almost unnoticed, having hit just one boundary, that too off a rank long hop from Virat Kohli.And then Yousuf signalled intent, not with a big winding shot, but with a deft late cut off Yusuf Pathan in the 32nd over. Malik followed suit, and guided Harbhajan to the third-man boundary in the next over. In the over after that both Yousuf and Malik cut Pathan for boundaries, and suddenly the Indian bowlers started getting rattled.They made complete mockery of the view that middle overs in ODIs have become formulaic and boring. Even without looking to hit powerful shots, the two just milked the bowlers with ease. Malik became severe, welcoming Ishant Sharma back with three boundaries in one over. Dhoni then brought RP into the attack and he went for back-to-back boundaries against Malik, who had started toying with the unimaginative bowling, going over extra cover, beating third man on both sides, and also hitting the odd straight shot.Yousuf was not exactly slow at the other end, his boundaries through point and over extra cover, both off RP, were a treat to watch. Their 206-run stand took just 188 legal deliveries and broke their own record for the fourth wicket against India. While Yousuf missed his century by 13 runs, Malik went on to get his first ton since last year’s Asia Cup. Four of his seven centuries have come against India, and his average of 52.24 against them is a stark contrast to his 35.27 overall. He also crossed 5000 ODI runs during the innings, 1515 of which have come against his favourite opposition.Following Pakistan’s relentless accumulation, a charged-up Gautam Gambhir gave India’s innings a sensational start, but his first error, a lazy bit of running, hurt the chase about as much as it had helped it. His 46-ball 57 had taken India to 90 for 1 in the 14th over, when Dravid hit firmly to a close mid-off, called Gambhir for a single and sent him back. Gambhir didn’t make a desperate effort to dive or sprint back, and was undone by a direct-hit from Younis Khan. Replays showed a dive might have saved his wicket. All the way back Gambhir kept admonishing himself for leaving the job unfinished.After two quick wickets fell to Shahid Afridi, Suresh Raina launched a stunning assault, hurting Pakistan’s spinners who by now had started having trouble gripping the ball. The 72-run fifth-wicket stand between Dravid and Raina, who scored 46 off 41, was interrupted by a fast yorker from Ajmal that hit Raina in front of his stumps. The situation was still under India’s control, with 98 runs required in 15 overs, and the Powerplay yet to be utilised.Pathan then played an insensible shot to Aamer, edging a big heave to wide slip, and then Dravid was run out for 76, swinging the match irreversibly Pakistan’s way.

Scorecard
It was a day of big hundreds as Mahela Udawatte and Chamara Kapugedera lifted Sri Lanka A to a huge total batting first, before another supreme knock from Umar Akmal drew the Pakistanis close. The visitors narrowly missed out in the high-scorer at the Welagedera Stadium, which would have been a big confidence booster ahead of the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka which gets underway on Thursday.Sri Lanka A were off to a horror start once captain Thilina Kandamby opted to bat. Abdul Razzaq struck with the first two balls of the match to send back Upul Tharanga and Kaushal Silva. Sri Lanka A though, mounted a superb recovery as Udawatte and Kandamby put on 114 for the third wicket. Udawatte was at his imperious best during his 135-ball knock, which included 19 fours and two sixes. Kapugedera joined Udawatte in the 20th over, and from then on it was Sri Lanka A all the way. Kapugedera hit six fours and two sixes during his 91-ball stay, and compounded Pakistan’s misery further by putting on a massive 222-run stand for the fourth wicket with Udawatte. Both batsmen were dismissed by Razzaq who finished with 4 for 70.Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof buoyed by their team’s big score, rattled the Pakistani top order during the chase. The visitors had slipped to 29 for 3 before Shahid Afridi (34) and Fawad Alam (85) kept them in with a chance. Following their dismissals, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan failed to kick on and that left the lower order with too much to do.But that did not worry Umar, who smashed seven fours and three sixes in a mature display. The 19-year-old grew in confidence through his strokeplay and was lent support by Razzaq, who stroked a blitzkrieg 56 off 29 balls, that pushed Sri Lanka A all the way. But lightning struck twice, with Maharoof and Fernando doing the damage towards the end, as Umar was left stranded on an unbeaten century.

MatériaMais Notícias

Dorival Júnior permitiu que os jornalistas acompanhassem somente o aquecimento no treino desta sexta-feira, no CT da Barra Funda. Sem a imprensa, definiu a escalação do São Paulo para o Choque-Rei de domingo, no Allianz Parque, e focou nas qualidades do Palmeiras e no trabalho de bola parada.

De acordo com o que foi divulgado pelo clube, o treinador usou a atividade tática para ajustar o posicionamento dos jogadores e indicou os pontos fortes do adversário. Simulou jogadas e reforçou o que trabalhou ao longo da semana – comanda treinos secretos desde quinta-feira.

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O Tricolor informou ainda que, na parte final do treinamento, Dorival trabalhou bolas paradas, ajustando tanto o posicionamento defensivo quanto o ofensivo. Variou cobradores e ângulos para batidas de escanteio e faltas.

A bola parada tem sido uma das forças do São Paulo: nos últimos dez gols, sete vieram de bola parada: três foram de pênalti e outro de falta, mais três de escanteio. E o Palmeiras sofreu gol na bola aérea nos três últimos jogos, diante de Vasco, Atlético-PR e Chapecoense.

Em relação à escalação, Dorival Júnior faz mistério, mas já indicou que não deve optar por muitas novidades. A tendência é que a entrada de Pratto, de volta de suspensão, no lugar de Gilberto seja a única mudança na comparação com o time que iniciou o empate diante do Avaí, na última rodada.

A provável escalação são-paulina no Choque-Rei tem: Sidão; Buffarini, Arboleda, Rodrigo Caio e Edimar; Petros; Marcos Guilherme, Jucilei, Hernanes e Cueva; Pratto. Machucados, Bruno, Araruna, Júnior Tavares, Wellington Nem e Morato devem ser os desfalques do treinador no clássico.

O São Paulo encerra sua preparação para a partida em treino aberto à torcida no Morumbi, na manhã deste sábado, quando, pela primeira vez desde quarta-feira, a imprensa terá acesso à atividade inteira. A diretoria disponibilizará 30 mil lugares aos torcedores, que não poderão ir ao jogo porque o clássico terá apenas palmeirenses no Allianz Parque.

Os portões do Morumbi serão abertos a partir das 8h30, apesar de o treino estar marcado para às 9h30. A torcida poderá utilizar as arquibancadas amarela e vermelha para acompanhar as atividades lideradas pelo técnico Dorival Júnior. A entrada acontece pelo portão 15 e será liberada para quem levar um quilo de alimento, exceto sal e açúcar, na hora marcada.